7-7-2010

7-7-2010
Originally uploaded by cspatrick

I have this thing for cats. I don’t know, why, but when I see a cat, I am compelled to go pet it. Yesterday at the open-air market, as we moved along the street, we saw a guy sitting against a building with two kittens. He was holding one, and the other was in a box sleeping. I really, really wanted to reach out, pick one up, hold and pet it for a minute and get my cat “fix.” I opted not to, as in France I am not sure what the protocol would have been. But my heart was really torn for a moment when I saw them. I haven’t touched a cat since we left Atlanta (thanks, Sammy!). I always have this wrenching feeling in my heart when I see a cat. Doesn't work with dogs, not even puppies, or other animals. J'adore les chats! Interestingly enough, as we returned up the street to our house, I saw another cat under the car. She apparently speaks English, as she came when I called to her. She was a full-grown cat, not a kitten. But she let me pet her for a minute, which was enough of a fix to get me by. This morning, we walked down a dead-end street adjacent to our street and there we discovered the same cat, who allowed me to pet her again.